My 4 month old always has her hands in her mouth, she has a pacifier, but once thats out she is always sucking on her hands. Is that normal? I don't like her having the pacifier all the time but I don't like her sucking her hands either. What do I do?
2007-01-12 06:16:17 · 21 answers · asked by Proud Mother 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
I know shes exploring but I would rather her suck a pacifier because you can toss that out, you can't toss out a finger or a thumb. I don't mind her exploring her hands but I wasn't sure if this would lead to her constantly sucking a finger, and I don't like to see kids suck their fingers or their thumbs. Hard habit to break.
2007-01-12 06:34:37 · update #1
It normal, but be carefull ,she may suck her hand for the rest of her life.remove her hand from her mouth some time.cause i have a baby boy of 5month who do so also, but i do remove his hand some time & give him some clean toys to put in his mouth.All this is because i have a brother that suck his hand from birth till now & his is 22yrs old, which is bad.So think tiwce.
2007-01-12 06:43:47 · answer #1 · answered by nnene s 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Your baby will spend the next couple years of her life constantly putting things in her mouth. This is one of the ways she is exploring and learning about the world around her. It is perfectly normal. Some babies have a stronger sucking need than others. There is nothing wrong with her having a pacifier or sucking on her hands. Don't worry about it and let her suck when she needs to.
2007-01-12 06:33:20 · answer #2 · answered by sevenofus 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Me and my fiance have been having a good go-around about this one here lately. All babies have a natural sucking reflex and need. Not all are completely satisfied with the sucking during a feeding. Sucking on the hands is completely normal and at this age causes no damage. Also, she is at the age where she is figuring out she has hands and is very curious. Let her go for it, thumb-sucking, pacifiers, etc. do not become a problem until the child is between the ages of 2 and 4. So let her enjoy the simple pleasures of her hands.
2007-01-12 06:25:57 · answer #3 · answered by Aaliyah & Natalie's Mommy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Mine will NOT keep her thumb, fingers and hands out of her mouth. It doesn't matter what we're doing...even while I'm bathing her. I've tried the pacifier but she is not interested, never has been.
I just try to keep her hands as clean as I can. She drools like mad too so I've always got a bib on her. Poor thing, I'm always at her with a cloth :) But I understand how it bothers you...me too. Not much you can do. She's exploring and fascinated with not only her hands but everyone else's too. She'd rather see my hands doing the itsy-bitsy spider over and over than any toy I hand her. She puts those in her mouth too.
2007-01-12 06:54:14 · answer #4 · answered by Maudie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she is sucking on her hands, that is a sign of hunger. Maybe she needs more formula during her feedings (or breastmilk, whatever you use). A good way to know is if she finishes her bottle and is still suckling (hands in the mouth). Even if she isn't completely finishing the bottle maybe you should try feeding her more frequently. If this doesn't help the hands in the mouth, just know that it is normal for a baby to want to suck on something. Why don't you want her to have her hands in her mouth? Im just curious.
2007-01-12 06:25:56 · answer #5 · answered by MiZmeL 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my 4 month old is doing the same thing. its nothing to worry about. like people have said shes exploring. she learns by putting things in her mouth. just wait until she gets a foot in there.. she's also going to end up chewing on everything. its inevitable... sorry. let it run its coarse you cant keep a 4 month old from doing what they want. besides you may be able to throw out a pacifier but if it falls on the floor you have to wash it. your baby's hand will never FALL to the floor. just carry wipes with you incase they grab something they shouldnt. i'm not worried about my son chewing on his hands he's learning that these are fingers, this is my hand. hell he puts his socks in his mouth too.......
2007-01-12 06:58:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's normal. She is used to sucking on bottles and pacifiers.
I know some people might think it's cruel, but my mom and dad put spicy stuff on my hand to make me stop. I was older than your baby though. My sister used to suck on her first two fingers and they got smashed in a door one day. She started sucking her thumb, and has done it unconsciously ever since. She had to have braces too.
Why don't you try giving her something in one of those mesh bags. I don't remember what they are called, but they are good for teething. Maybe that's whats going on.
2007-01-12 06:27:49 · answer #7 · answered by liquidblue 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IF this is a new thing for her, it could be one of two things:
1. she just discovered her hands and that they fit in her mouth. Wait until she finds that her toes fit in there too! =)
or
2. She's getting teeth. Is she drooling a lot? If you run your finger along her gums, sometimes you can feel the bumps of the teeth.
2007-01-12 06:39:14 · answer #8 · answered by zippythejessi 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My daughter is 4 1/2 months old and she sticks EVERYTHING that she can in her mouth, it is normal and just a phase. My daughter has been doing this since about 3 months, it is a sign of teething from what I have been told.
2007-01-12 06:23:59 · answer #9 · answered by mdoud01 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
my daughter didnt use a pacifier sence 4 mths...sucks her finger once n awhile but mostly its her thumb...id say its normal
2007-01-12 06:20:59 · answer #10 · answered by impala400sb 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋